A. Field of Invention
This invention pertains to the art of methods and apparatuses for dispensing frozen products and more particularly to an ice cream scoop that incorporates an improved method and apparatus for transferring heat to the scoop portion of the ice cream scoop.
B. Description of the Related Art
It is well known that a common problem with dispensing frozen products is that the utensil used to dispense the frozen product requires significant force in order to remove the frozen product from the frozen product container. For example, when a user desires to remove frozen ice cream from an ice cream container, a utensil, such as a spoon or ice cream scoop, must be forced into and through the ice cream in order to remove a portion of ice cream. Because frozen ice cream is a “solid,” it requires significant force to push the utensil through the ice cream. This significant force is especially required for frozen products considered “hard” because they are kept at a temperature significantly under the freezing temperature, e.g., ice cream is typically considered to be hard when kept at a temperature between 0 and −8° F. (Fahrenheit).
To reduce this problem, attempts have been made to heat the utensil beyond room temperature. By beating the utensil, the frozen product melts when contacted by the utensil thereby reducing the force necessary to move the utensil through the frozen product. However, known methods for heating such a utensil have largely proven to be unsatisfactory. The primary problem is in transferring sufficient heat to the portion of the utensil that contacts the frozen product (generally, the scoop portion).
One commonly known method for heating an ice cream scoop is to place the scoop (at least the scoop portion that contacts the frozen product) under a tap water source. The tap water source may provide water at a temperature above room temperature. A problem with this method is that there is insufficient heat capacity in the scoop to provide for a high scooping performance with hard ice cream or the time required to heat the entire ice cream scoop mass would be unduly long. In particular, such scoops lack the required mass of fluid and/or scoop material to establish the required heat capacity.
Another known method of heating an ice cream scoop is filling a hollow handle portion with a liquid such as water. U.S. Pat. No. 5,837,296 to Virkler, for example, discloses a hollow ice cream scoop and scoop portion that can be filled with warm water. This type of scoop allows the heat from the liquid to be transferred from the handle to the scoop portion thereby heating the scoop portion and ultimately melting the ice cream. However, Virkler does not teach the required values for heat capacity and thermal conductivity as discovered by applicant. Thus, Virkler does not teach the critical parameters required for high scooping performance with hard ice cream.
Another known method of heating an ice cream scoop is providing the scoop with a type of electrical heating portion. Such electrical heating portions include those powered by battery and thus powered by a typical home power outlet. Those powered by battery are well known to quickly lose the battery power. Those powered by a power outlet are expensive to manufacture and awkward to use.
It is also known to provide an ice cream scoop that is not intended to be heated. Instead, such a scoop may be sealed, with a defrosting fluid held within the handle. This type of scoop permits heat to be transferred from the handle (holding the fluid) to the scoop portion. This type of scoop doesn't heat the scoop portion but does keep it warmer than it would otherwise be without the defrosting fluid. However, as with many of the alternatives noted above, such scoops do not provide a sufficiently high scooping performance with hard ice cream.
Another known utensil, called a spade, is similar to the scoop having a defrosting fluid as noted above. The only difference is that whereas the previously noted scoop has a frozen product contacting portion that is scoop-like in design (typically a bowl shape) the spade has a frozen product contacting portion that is much flatter—spade-like in design. Such spades may also include a defrosting fluid in the handle but also fail to provide a sufficiently high scooping performance with hard ice cream.
The present invention provides methods and apparatuses for a new and improved ice cream scoop that is simple in design and overcomes the aforementioned disadvantages of limited thermal conductivity and limited heat capacity. The difficulties inherit in the art are therefore overcome in a way that is simple and efficient, while providing better and more advantageous results.